Fighters » Paige VanZant
Paige VanZant is an American combat sports athlete known for her tenure in the UFC and her ventures into bare-knuckle boxing, professional wrestling, and other areas of entertainment. Her MMA career is marked by an aggressive, crowd-pleasing fighting style and several memorable performances.
Notable Fights in the UFC
Paige VanZant’s most significant and memorable fights occurred during her time in the UFC:
- UFC Debut vs. Kailin Curran (November 22, 2014): VanZant announced her arrival in the UFC with a dominant performance, winning by TKO (punches) in the third round. This back-and-forth battle was awarded Fight of the Night honors.
- The Flying Head Kick vs. Bec Rawlings (August 27, 2016): In a highlight-reel finish, VanZant knocked out Rawlings in the second round with a spectacular flying head kick followed by punches. This win earned her a Performance of the Night bonus.
- Armbar Victory vs. Rachael Ostovich (January 19, 2019): After breaking her arm in a previous fight, VanZant returned from a year-long hiatus and secured a submission victory via armbar in the second round.
- Key Losses Against Top Competition: VanZant faced several future champions and top contenders. Her losses came against highly-skilled fighters, including a submission defeat to Rose Namajunas and a first-round technical submission to Michelle Waterson. Her final UFC fight was a submission loss to Amanda Ribas in July 2020.
Career Beyond the UFC
Since her departure from the UFC, VanZant has remained active in combat sports and entertainment:
- Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC): Signed a lucrative contract in 2020 but lost both of her bare-knuckle boxing matches.
- Professional Wrestling: Signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2022 and made several appearances.
- Other Ventures: She has also competed in professional boxing (one fight ended in a draw) and slap fighting under the Power Slap league. Outside the ring, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, authored a book, and runs a successful content subscription page.
Paige VanZant is part of the list "Badass Beauties: Top Fighters in the Game"
